In laser reaction systems a target of selected material, usually in a vacuum chamber, is exposed to one or more high power laser beams for the purpose of inducing a reaction such as thermonuclear fusion. Whether or not such a reaction occurs the radiation power involved (15 to 30 joules per square centimeter) causes the target to eject debris of macroscopic size as well as in sub-molecular size and electromagnetic wave form. Similarly bombardment of targets with other high energy beams such as accelerated particles produces such reaction debris. Escape of such debris from the reaction chamber is undesirable for several reasons including the risk of contamination of very expensive laser optical components between the chamber and the laser.
Plain sheet or film epoxy resin has been sold and has experimentally been found effective as a non-distorting window for high power laser beams and as a shield of laser fusion debris. However, a satisfactory way of mounting thin epoxy films as debris shields has not previously been found, and it is one object of the present invention to provide a way of mounting an epoxy film in a laser or other high energy reaction debris shield. A further object is to provide optically active laser reaction debris shields.